


Play It Cool

by mrpicard



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: The Next Generation (Movies)
Genre: Almost Kiss, Awkward Dates, Bartenders, M/M, Pool & Billiards, Secret Relationship, Starship Enterprise (Star Trek)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-12 20:22:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11744493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrpicard/pseuds/mrpicard
Summary: Picard and Alex go on a secret date at night.





	Play It Cool

**Author's Note:**

> This ficlet is set shortly after the [first part of my In These Arms series](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1284832/chapters/2662594) but can also stand on its own.

_U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-E_

_Gym_

 

 

"8 ball, upper right pocket." Picard bent down, took aim and a few seconds later the black ball dropped into the designated pocket.

"Fuck," Alex cursed from behind. "I should never have insisted on this pool date. You probably beat the crap out of your dom-jot opponents when you were younger."

"Literally or figuratively?"

Alex grinned. "Given your wild past, I'd say probably both."

"You're not that far off," Picard said and put his cue on the pool table. "It _was_ over a game of dom-jot that I lost my real heart."

"Starbase Earhart, right? I've read about the incident."

Picard frowned. "Where?"  
  
"It's in your Starfleet record."

"How did you gain access to my Starfleet record?"

Alex fidgeted with his cue. "I... umm... I had someone obtain it for me a little while ago."

"Why?"

"I wanted to learn more about you after seeing you in that lecture hall at the Sorbonne. And since you don't do interviews the next best thing was to have a look at your Starfleet record."

Picard scratched his chin. "I never thought I'd be this interesting to someone."

"I don't know about anyone else, but you're definitely very interesting to _me_."

"I am?"

"Yes." Alex put his cue on the pool table and walked over to Picard. "You're incredibly fascinating."

"Hmm," Picard muttered. "'Fascinating' is not exactly a term I would use to describe myself."

" _I_ would," Alex said softly and looked directly into Picard's gray-green eyes. "It always makes me wonder what's behind your captain's mask."

Picard returned the intense gaze. "What makes you think there _is_ anything behind it?"

Alex slowly leaned forward. "I don't _think_ there's anything behind it. I _know_."

"I hope you'll be pleased by what you find."

"I already am..."

They leaned closer and closer - and then they both heard the voices coming from right outside the room.

_"Whoa, why are the lights on in the pool table room?"_

_"Maybe someone accidentally left them on?"_

_"They would have gone out automatically by now."_

_"We've got to check this out."_

The door opened.

"Alex?!"

Alex casually looked up from the 8 ball that he had just taken out of the pool table's pocket. "Hmm?"

"What are _you_ doing here? It's 3 in the morning."

"What does it look like? I was just about to reset the table for another game."

The two young ensigns looked at each other before they focused their attention on Alex again. "We thought you were an intruder or something."

"Just plain old me in here, I'm afraid."

"Good. We gotta run now, though - our shifts in engineering are about to start."

"Don't let me keep you from your duty."

"Bye, Alex."

"Bye."

The door closed behind them and Alex looked down at Picard, who was sitting next to him on the floor behind the pool table with his cue in his hands. "Okay... _that_ was close."

Picard took a deep breath. "You could say that."


End file.
